1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to optical systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to systems and methods calibrating focal plane arrays.
2. Description of the Related Art
A focal plane array (FPA) is an array comprised of several individual detector elements (pixels). Focal plane arrays suffer from non-uniformities due to the variations in sensitivity among the detector elements. These variations must be determined and accounted for in order to achieve proper sensor calibration. Consequently, non-uniformity correction (NUC) measures have been developed for FPA calibration.
Current NUC calibration techniques require a very uniform on-board calibration source to cover the entire focal plane array. With a uniform source, each detector element receives the same source intensity. Variations in the detector outputs are therefore due to variations in detector sensitivity. This information can then be used to calibrate the focal plane array.
Unfortunately, the required system is complicated, bulky, and expensive. It would be very difficult to implement a uniform calibration source for most sensorsxe2x80x94particularly for space applicationsxe2x80x94due to the package and cost restraints. Additionally, the uniformity of the source is almost impossible to maintain over a long period of time as a result of coating aging and source characteristic shift. This problem is further compounded by the fact that space applications typically require sensors to operate in space for several years without maintenance.
An alternative approach for infrared applications uses blackbodies and a complicated mechanism to inject blackbody radiation into the sensor to provide the desired radiometric calibration accuracy. However, this calibrator is bulky and heavy, expensive to fabricate and test, and is a single point failure mechanism. It also has thermal, alignment, and reliability problems, and needs sophisticated equipment to control temperature and maintain current.
Hence, a need remains in the art for an improved system or method for focal plane array calibration that does not require a uniform source.
The need in the art is addressed by the present invention, which provides a system and method for focal plane array (FPA) calibration using a calibration source which is not required to be uniform. In the illustrative embodiment, the system includes a first mechanism for calculating a relative gain of each detector element in the focal plane array relative to at least one reference element, a second mechanism for obtaining the absolute gain of the reference element, and a third mechanism for calculating the absolute gains for all other detector elements using the relative gains in conjunction with the absolute gain of the reference element.
The relative response of each pixel can be calculated from measurements of the response D of each pixel using an internal calibration source at two or more different source positions and two illumination intensities at each position. Measurements using a pair of source positions separated by k pixels establishes the relative response of the ith pixel with respect to the (i+k)th pixel. Through this recursive relationship and other pairs of source position with a different shift vector k, the relative response of every pixel in the FPA can be established. Then, the absolute radiometric calibration of at least one reference pixel is accomplished using a known external source, such as a star. The absolute response calibration of each pixel can then be obtained using the recursive relationship in combination with the reference pixels.